© Shutterstock

It started with Snapchat - Snapchat was the introduction of the ephemeral to social media. The app took off in 2012, and it was the first time we could share content knowing it would quickly disappear.

© Shutterstock

Instagram Stories -

Instagram launched its Stories feature in 2016 and within the first year it had 150 million users. Six months later that number had doubled.

© Shutterstock

How it works -

The feature allows you to upload a reel of photos and videos taken throughout the day. They disappear after 24 hours, unless you choose to save them as a highlight. The content uploaded to your stories is separate from your main Instagram feed. The same goes for Facebook Stories.

© Shutterstock

A rapidly growing user base - Based on the user statistics of 2021, it looks like more than 500 million people interact with Instagram Stories every single day.

© Shutterstock

What's the appeal? -

There’s something fascinating about stories, even if they show something incredibly simple and mundane. They offer a much more relatable insight into the daily lives of the people you follow.

© Shutterstock

Stories and Netflix - Instagram and Facebook Stories compel us to binge-watch in the same way that Netflix does. Each episode, or story, is short, and the next one rolls on automatically. It’s so easy to just keep watching.

© Shutterstock

Social media addiction -

Instagram Stories use a practice called persuasive design. This is when psychology is combined with the design to have the maximum influence on human behavior. It makes apps and products more engaging, but also more addictive.

© Shutterstock

Social media can trigger dopamine - It’s estimated that up to 10% of people in the US have a social media addiction. It’s been proven that using social media triggers the release of dopamine in the brain. This is the chemical that tells us we’re doing something good and should repeat the behavior.

© iStock

Dopamine and behavioral addictions -

Dopamine is supposed to be released to reinforce behaviors that are essential for the survival of the human race, like eating and procreating. Unfortunately, there are many stimulants in modern life that cause the release of dopamine, but aren’t necessarily good for us. These include activities like gambling, video gaming, and using social media.

© Shutterstock

Beyond the dopamine hit -

That being said, the allure of stories goes beyond the standard compulsion to scroll through your feed. Something happens in stories that doesn’t happen in regular Instagram or Facebook posts.

© Shutterstock

The transience of stories -

The transience of a story makes it a lot easier for the user to share something more authentic and less manicured. A lot more thought and care usually goes into a permanent post that will stay on your feed, and contribute to the overall aesthetic of your page.

© Shutterstock

Sharing without fear -

A story, on the other hand, will disappear after 24 hours. This allows us to feel safer and be more open. It’s a clever idea that was also used by Snapchat back in the day. The idea that you could set a self-destruct timer on your content meant you could share almost anything without fear.

© Shutterstock

A less photoshopped version of reality -

This makes creating stories a lot faster and more comfortable. It also makes them more enticing for the viewer. It feels different to scrolling through an Instagram feed filled with overly-curated photos and videos that share a glossy, glamorized version of life.

© Shutterstock

The comparison can be harsh -

This kind of unrealistic content can leave you feeling bad about yourself.

© Shutterstock 

A relatable allure - Facebook and Instagram stories tend to be lighter and more relatable. They usually contain more realistic snapshots of daily lives, and convey more authentic emotions from the user. This makes them less intimidating to flip through.

© Shutterstock

Imperfection brings us closer -

We tend to take more comfort in these little windows into reality. It makes us feel closer to other people because we’re designed to feel good when we can relate to others. Photoshopped perfection tends to have the opposite effect: it makes us feel threatened.

© Shutterstock

It's okay if real is messy! -

If you feel embarrassed about sharing a drunken story of your 2 am McDonald’s order, just remember that it might have made someone else feel a little better!

© Shutterstock

Looking for connection and authenticity - A survey showed that the majority of people who use the Instagram Stories feature are looking for live and unedited content. We just want to know what other people are up to!

© iStock

The Looking-Glass Self theory -

A sociologist named Charles Cooley came up with the Looking-Glass Self theory in 1902. It suggests that we build our sense of self by observing how others perceive us. The obvious problem here is that the way we think other people see us is often completely wrong.

© Shutterstock

A shallow form of reinforcement -

When it comes to social media, this might mean that we are compelled to post daily updates of our lives in order to reinforce our identities.

© Shutterstock

Impact on mental health - Even though stories on social media tend to be more authentic and less airbrushed, they can still have a negative impact on our mental health. As with most elements of social media, stories contribute to rapidly increasing rates of anxiety and depression.

© iStock

The ubiquity of filters -

It might be a different story if stories were unfiltered, but unfortunately, there are many different filters on both Facebook and Instagram Stories, and they’re widely used.

© Shutterstock

Airbrushing away natural beauty -

It’s fun to play with filters, but it’s also disconcerting to look at yourself and think “wow I look great,” and then remember you’ve airbrushed away half your facial features.

© Getty Images

No-filter shame -

Psychiatrists report that children and adults of all genders say that they feel ashamed to post photos of themselves without filters. Filters make it so easy for us to compare what could be to what isn’t.

© Shutterstock

Plastic surgery and body dysmorphia - Professional therapists also say that they have heard from many teenagers and adults who want to get plastic surgery to look more like the filtered version of themselves. Body dysmorphia is on the rise thanks to our increasing exposure to these digitally enhanced images of ourselves and others.

© iStock

Positive reinforcement - Whether we’re filtered or not, we get a huge dopamine spike when someone reacts positively. It gets a narrative going in our minds that we are appreciated and admired.

© Shutterstock

Relying false connections -

The danger with this false sense of connection is the feeling that it can replace real-life connection. But it can’t replace speaking to and spending time with loved ones, who give us a truer sense of fulfilment.

© Shutterstock

How to find a healthy balance -

The nature of social media and stories make it difficult to strike a healthy balance. They encourage binging and compulsive use. The first step to get this under control is to become aware of the impact it has on you.

© Shutterstock

Ask yourself the following questions - How meaningful and satisfying are the interactions I have on social media? Is the time I spend on social media holding me back from anything? How do I feel after spending a prolonged period of time on social media?

© Shutterstock

Make it work for you -

There are many positives to be taken from social media. We can connect with others to a certain degree, find inspiration, and learn new things. We just need to keep an eye on how it’s making us feel. Instagram and Facebook stories, and social media in general, are unlikely to go away any time soon, so it’s down to us to get the most value out of them.

Sources: (Healthline 1 and 2) 

See also: The positive side of social media

© Shutterstock